Death toll rises to 26 in Karachi building collapse

KARACHI: The death toll from the collapse of a five-storey Karachi residential building in Lyari Baghdadi area has climbed to 26, with rescue teams recovering more bodies from the rubble, according to rescue officials.

In a tragic update from Karachi’s Lyari area, rescue teams have removed 95% of the debris from the collapsed residential building in the Baghdadi.

According to Hameer Ahmed, in charge of Rescue 1122 South, one more body has been located under the rubble, believed to be that of a young man. Efforts are underway to retrieve it with extreme caution.

Local residents believe this may be the final body trapped beneath the debris of Karachi building collapse, though authorities have received a separate report about a missing rickshaw driver.

Hameer added that once the young man’s body is recovered, clearing of the remaining rubble will resume, which may provide clarity on the missing rickshaw driver’s whereabouts.

Karachi six-storey residential building collapsed on the morning of July 4, 2025. Miraculously, a three-month-old infant was pulled alive from the rubble.

The collapsed building, constructed in 1974, had been declared dangerous by the Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) three years ago, with multiple notices issued to residents to vacate the premises.

Karachi commissioner holds citizens responsible

Karachi Commissioner Hassan Naqvi, who visited the site after the lapse of 13 hours, said that the primary responsibility for the recent tragedy lies with those residing in unsafe buildings.

He said that the Sindh Building Control Authority had previously issued notices regarding the collapsed structure.

He urged residents to prioritize the safety of themselves and their families, emphasizing that forcibly evicting people from their homes is an undesirable task, and the administration has no intention of doing so.

According to rescue authorities, an adjacent building has also sustained structural damage as a result of the collapse.